Fire-escape device.



with @raras ATENT rrcn.

EDXVARD P. FEIKER, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

`FIRE-ESCAPE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 643,286, dated February 13, 1900.l

Application filed July 3l, 1899.

To all whom/t may concern:

Be it known that 1, EDWARD P. FEIKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, in the -county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-EscapeDevices, of which 'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes, and particularly to that class thereof which comprises devices for attachment upon a building to or near a Window or door in the wall thereof and which are adapted to be operated by an individual for effecting his or her escape to the ground in case of fire by lowering him or her self under proper control to a place of safety, the object being to provide an improved device of this class which is simple, safe, and easily manipulated by the user thereof for said purpose; and the invention consists in thev peculiar construction and arrangement of said devices whereby said object is attained, all as hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

.In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the outer wall of a building, showing an opening therein, which may be that of a partof a door or window having fire-escape devices secured on one border thereof, which are constructed according to my invention, and a rope or cable connected thereto, and showing the position of a person in the act of using said devices for escaping from a building. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate certain modifications of the construction shown in Fig. 1, which are fully described below.

ln the drawings, 2 indicates a portion of the outer wall of a building, in which is an opening for a window or door, and on one border, thereof is shown a part of the usual wooden frame 3, which is fixed in such openings.

The said fire-escape devices, as illustrated in Fig. 1,'comprise a metallic base-plate or frame 4, having a projecting foot 5 on the lower end thereof, and a laterally-projecting part or segment of a dial 6, having thereon a series of figures from 50 to 250, more or less, for a purpose below set forth. Near the upper end of said base-plate is fixed a shaft 7 projecting at right angles thereto, on which is placed a spool 8,`having a gear 9 fixed on Serial No. 725,587. (No model.)

one end thereof, the spool being retained on .said shaft by a nut on the outer end of the neath saidcorrugated wheel 12 is a brake-le ver 14, pivotedby one end to said base 3, as shown, and having a projection 15 on the side thereof adjoining the border of said wheel12 so formed'as to permit the circular projections of the latter to slip over it with va regulatedV speed, as below'described. The under side of said lever 14 is given sufficient superficial area to afford a proper bearin 1f-surface for the upper end of a coil or other spring 16, which acts with more or less force, as below described, to hold said lever-tooth 15 against the periphery of said wheel 12, thereby causing the latter and said spool 8 to be rotated with a proper degree of freedom when a load is suspended thereon and whereby7 the latter is safely lowered. The lowerwend of said spring 16 is supported on a plate which rests on the upper end of an adjusting-screw 17, which passes through and screw-engages the said foot 5 on the lower end of said base et. Thus it will be seen that by turning said screw the said spring will act as aforesaid against said brake-lever 14:. In order to enable a person who may wish to use the device to adjust the pressure of said brake-lever 14 against the said wheel 12, so that the latter will rotate at a desired speed under the weight of said person when suspended upon'a rope 22, wound around said spool 8, as vshown in Fig. 1, the said figure-bearing segment 6 is provided, having the aforesaid or other similar figures thereon, and a pointer 18 is pivoted by one end on said base 4, as shown, and its opposite end extends near to said figures. Movement is imparted to said pointer when said adjusting-screw is turned by a pin 19, fixed in said supporting-plate, on which said spring 16 rests, and having a pivoted engagement with said pointer, and thus when said IOO plate is raised or lowered by turning said screw to adjust said spring said pointer is swung to different positions over said segment and when brought nearest to certain of said numerals thereon the pointer will indicate the weight which will properly actuate the device to lower a person to the ground when the latter is suspended thereon, as shown.

Figs.2 and 3 illustrate said modifications of the construction shown in Fig. 1, which modifications consist in substituting a shaft 20, on which a gear 21 is fixed, for said spool 8 and the gear 9 on the latter and extending said shaft across the window or door opening and supporting it on the opposite side of the frame, as shown in Fig. 3, where 2Oa indicates a bearing for the end of shaft 2O opposite that on which gear 2l is fixed, and thereby the rope of the device may be Wound directly onto said shaft, and thus provide a stronger support for the weight which may be attached to said rope than said spool affords. The devices for governing the rotation of said shaft 2O under a load hung upon the rope wound thereon are, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the same as those shown in Fig. 1 and above described.

In operating the devices for escaping from a building the person knowing substantially his weight and supposing itto be about one hundred and fifty pounds will first turn said screw 17 to bring the pointer 18 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and then grasping the rope and adjusting it as shown in the lastnamed figure he may step out of the Window or door, swing himself off, andthe adjustment of the brake-lever 14 to the corrugated wheel 12 insures the descent of the person to the ground at a safe speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Fire-escape devices adapted to be attached to abuilding at a window or door opening thereof, comprising a suitable baseplate, having weight-indicating numerals,and a pivoted pointer thereon, fixed on one border of said opening, a revoluble rope-support attached to, and extending from said base-plate in a direction across said opening, combined With a corrugated speed-governing wheel, gear-connected with said rope support, a brake-lever having an engagement with the corru gated border of said Wheel, a spring acting against said brake-lever, and means connected with said spring and pointer for forcing said brake-lever against said wheel and simultaneously, automatically indicating the weight which may be safely suspended on, and lowered by means of said devices, substantially as set forth.

2. Fire-escape devices to be attached to a building at a window or door opening thereof, comprising a suitable base-plate, having weight-indicating numerals, and a pivoted pointer thereon, fixed on one border of said opening, a revoluble rope-support attached to, and extending from said base-plate in a direction across said opening, combined with a corrugated speed-governing wheel, gearconnected with said rope-support, a brakelever having an engagement with the corrugated border of said wheel, a spring acting against said brake-lever, and a screw engaging the foot of said base-plate and forming a support for said spring, and providing means for compressing the same against said brakelever, and for swinging said pointer, substantially as set forth.

3. In fire-escape devices adapted to be attached to a building on the border of a Window or door opening therein, comprising a suitable base-plate fixed on said border, a shaft, 7, projecting from said base, a corrugated, speed-governing 'wheel revoluble on said base, a rope-carrying spool revoluble on said shaft, and gear-connected with said governing-wheel, a brake-lever pivoted on said base, having a projection, 15, engaging said corrugatedwheel, a screw, 17, on said base opposite the side of said brake-operating lever, and a spring intermediate of said lever and screw, combined and operating, substan- 

